Recently, the family, and I, spent some extra time in the airport. About 7 hours to be exact. Not the longest amount of time someone has spent in the airport, but it was challenging to say the least. And out of that experience, a list was born. I give you: 50 things you can do with kids, or on your own, when your flight is delayed.
1. Panic
2.Watch other planes take off and
land.
3. Grab an overpriced snack
4. Color pictures with markers.
5. Allow a child to color himself with
markers.
6. Create a tower with the markers.
7. Walk/run laps around the
concourse.
8. Take the child to the bathroom.
9. Buy another overpriced snack/
drink.
10. Take the child to the bathroom
again.
11. Watch more planes take off and
land.
12. Listen to your child ask if “That”
plane is going to take you
home. Cry a little – on the inside.
13. Walk some more.
14. Make friends with other families
stuck in the airport.
15. Play hide and go seek behind the
column in the concourse.
16. Tweet the airline.
17. Wait for the airline to respond.
18. Watch Netflix on the free WiFi.
19. Go to the bathroom.
20. Check the time.
21. Read a book. Like the whole thing.
Russian novel length.
22. Charge all of your electronic
devices.
23. Cry.
24. Start an epic rock/paper/scissors
tournament with strangers.
Winner gets an overpriced drink.
25. Read emails.
26. Get emails from airline telling you
that you flight has been moved
up.
27. Celebrate.
28. Get an email from airline stating
that your flight has been moved
back again.
29. Weep tears of sorrow set to the
score of a melodramatic film.
30. Try to take a nap.
31. Have nap interrupted.
32. Play “Duck, duck, GOOSE” at and
empty gate. By yourself.
33. Mentally rewrite Star Wars
Episode I in your head. First
change – no Jar Jar.
34. Recite all the numbers of Pi that
you know. (3.1….repeating 4
Done.)
35. Try to name all 50 states within 2
minutes.
36. List all college teams with a
singular noun mascot.
37. Take kids on another set of laps.
38. Try to recreate the Indy 500 in the
airport concourse with strangers.
Use markers to create numbers
on your arm and draw sponsor
logos. Winner gets overpriced
beverage.
39. Try to get the kids to nap.
40. Give up on the idea of the kids
napping and find something else
to do.
41. Start a concourse lottery system.
42. Start a secret high five club, but
only high four. Anyone who slaps
five is not in the club.
43. Start writing an asinine list of 50
things to do while waiting for the
plane that you think may never
come.
44. Randomly yell “Punch Bug” and
slug a stranger in the shoulder.
Oh, and run.
45. Moonwalk on the people mover
belt while shouting “Wooooooooo”
and “Cham’on”. At the end of the
belt jump and land on your toes
MJ style.
46. Find a passenger traveling with a
dog and announce to everyone
that the drug dog is here. See who
runs for cover.
47. Approach adult children traveling
with their parents and tell them,
“No, Luke. I am your father!” And
then walk away.
48. Try to find Waldo, or someone
named Waldo.
49. Ask strangers “Who stole the
cookie from the cookie jar?”
50. Grab the mic at one of the empty
gates and start an acapella
karaoke sing off. Tell the winner
they are going to Hollywood.
51. (Bonus) Get on your plane and go
home.
